SERUM VITAMIN-A LEVELS DURING TUBERCULOSIS AND HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS INFECTION

Vitamin A deficiency during tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency vi rus (HIV) infection has not been characterized. A cross-sectional stud y was conducted among HIV-infected adults with tuberculosis in Butare, Rwanda, in which 29% of the subjects had serum vitamin A levels consi stent with deficiency (<1.05 mu mol/L). Women had mean serum vitamin A levels of 1.22 +/- 0.45, compared with 1.47 +/- 0.68 in men (P < 0.07 ). A total of 37% of subjects with recent weight loss had vitamin A le vels consistent with deficiency, compared with 14% of subjects without weight loss (P < 0.02). This study suggests that vitamin A deficiency is common among adults with tuberculosis and HIV infection in Rwanda.